Totally Worth It
by Tartarus208
Summary: Shepard is in his last moments at the end of ME3. What is going through his head? What will he choose? What will he loose? Find out. Slightly different from the real ending. Rated T for suggested sex. M!Shep/Liara. Oneshot.


**AN: I decided to write about something other than PJO, so I'll write this. It's something that I've thought about since I've seen the ending, and I hope it turns out good. It doesn't go exactly like the ending, but it is similar. Extremely similar.**

**Disclaimer: Mass Effect belongs to EA and Bioware. I congratulate them on such a success of making a very dramatic and amazing series.**

** " The paths are open, but you have to choose." **The Catalyst took a step back and watched how Shepard would react. He shuffled forward, clutching his midsection, wincing in pain at each step he took. He held his sidearm in a death grip, and looked at his three decisions.

Control, Evolve, or Destruction. How simple yet complicated they were, forming new and countless variables.

If he chose Control, he could pull back the reapers, keep organics alive, and hope for the best. But likely, the cycle would continue, and he would be forced to be the one to pull the trigger from the AI's programming. If Organics and Synthetics continued to fight, the Reapers would do what they always did. Destroy.

If he chose Destroy, the Reapers would die and organics will live on. On the other hand, all synthetics would be blown to hell, including the Mass Relays. The organics would be stranded where they were, with no Relays to get them out, and they would start from scratch, learning to build more Synthetics to not just evolve, but survive. He wouldn't, no, couldn't leave them like that. Which only left one option. Synthesis.

If he chose Synthesis, everyone would benefit from it. Synthetics would gain awareness of Organics, and Organics would gain perfection through Synthetics. The Reapers would leave, and stay away, for they no longer had to make peace between Organics and Synthetics. The Relays would stay intact, and life would flourish.

All three would kill him. All three would make peace. All three would stop the Reapers. But only one would last.

Shepard wanted to cry, as crazy as it sounded. Not because he was scared of dying, but because the love of his life was being ripped away. He finally fell in love with Liara. After all this time, he found a reason to love, to find another, stronger reason to fight, and now it was being ripped away. Fate was laughing at him, ridiculing him on his idiocy, his _hope_ that the hero would get the happy ending, that everything would end alright. How wrong he was. So, so dreadfully wrong.

He stopped at the intersection of choices, and dropped his gun. He needed to say his goodbyes. He put his hand to his ear, checking for his comms. He pushed and said weekly, " Joker?" The reaction was instantaneous " Shepard! What's up?"

" Can you patch me through to the ship's comms?"

" Sure." He said with uncertainty " Your clear."

" Crew," he began, " This is your captain speaking. This fight is almost over, so fight through to the end. I couldn't ask for a better crew. I'm-" He was reduced to a coughing fit, blood gushing out of his mouth. One of the testimonies to how bad he was injured. " I'm stepping down, and promoting Joker as captain of the _Normandy_. Garrus, I'll be waiting for you in that bar. Tali, Keelah se'lai. Liara, I'm sorry. Just remember, I'm yours as well. I love you. This is your former captain speaking, signing off, one last time. Good luck."

He broke communications with the _Normandy_ and began to slowly walk towards the beam. Synthesis was the only option they had that would work, that would last, that would unite all of the galaxy in peace. He stumbled halfway, and caught himself, only to fall down as his legs gave out. So he crawled. He didn't know how long, but all he knew is that it hurt. Hurt so bad that he almost lost consciousness, twice. Hurt so much that he wanted to stop and die. But he kept crawling, leaving a trail of crimson blood in his wake.

When he finally got to the edge, he used the last of his strength to push himself off the edge. When he hit the green laser, he was filled with insurmountable energy. He didn't feel pain of being dissolved, only awareness, so he thought.

He thought about Joker, the new captain of the ship. Of how he was the one best suited for the job. Of how he would handle the job. Joker would do nicely.

He thought of Liara, the only love of his life. He thought of her mind intertwined with his, their minds melding into one being. He thought of her naivety, her talkativeness, her complete and utter devotion. He thought about her body against his, moving as one, her lips against his, her voice, everything.

And he also thought about Anderson. He was his friend, mentor, captain, and so much more. Everything he did was to make Anderson proud. He thought about his final words, not directed to Humanity, Synthetics, or even to the Organics, but to him. His last words filled his brain with happiness. _' You did good, son. You did good. I'm... proud of you.'_

He thought about all of these things, but before he disappeared forever, his last thought was of himself. Was it worth it? To lose everything to save just as much? To lose his life to save the rest? He decided then and there. " Totally worth it..." He mumbled, and then he was no more.

**AN: Tell me how I did. I want to know If my ending was good or not. Reveiw, because every single one is worth something.**


End file.
